Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, striking a refinery in the Ryazan region as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would no longer observe a pause in attacks on energy facilities.
The strike occurred on Thursday, October 15, following a brief suspension of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure amid efforts to establish an energy ceasefire.
According to Reuters, the refinery was hit by a Ukrainian attack that caused a fire at the facility. Ryazan regional governor Pavel Malkov said emergency services had responded to the scene and that the extent of the damage was being assessed.
Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that Ukraine had paused its attacks for three days in response to requests from the United States but would resume them because Russia continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The development followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy sites. However, the agreement had not been confirmed by both sides.
The renewed strikes risk deepening tensions between Kyiv and Washington over the conduct of the war and efforts to negotiate a settlement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, saying the damage had not been particularly significant.
The latest developments highlight the challenges facing diplomatic efforts to reduce attacks on energy infrastructure as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.
